Bahanaga: The demonetisation dust refuses to settle even three weeks after the Centre’s shock withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, with people becoming increasingly frustrated at not being able to get enough cash from ATMs or banks.
In Bahanaga area of Balasore district, queues outside banks are getting longer with residents facing a harrowing time in availing small denomination notes for their daily transactions.
At households, children had saved money in Rs 10 coins, but now there is fear that those coins may go to waste with rumours doing the rounds that such coins are all counterfeit. Locals complained that a time when there is shortage of cash, commercial establishments and grocers are refusing to accept the Rs 10 coins.
Even SBI branches are allegedly refusing to accept the Rs 10 coins, according to locals. Traders said they are now flooded with Rs 10 coins and when they are going to banks to exchange the coins, banks are refusing to accept the coins.
Some traders argue that when banks are not accepting the Rs 10 coins, how can they accept the same from customers.
At many places, there were instances of arguments between small traders and customers over validity of the coins. Some harried locals have even taken up the issue with the police, it is learnt.
When asked about the reason for banks not accepting Rs 10 coins, branch manager of Gopalpur SBI, Achyut Narayana Tripathy, said: “We have huge deposits of Rs 10 coins, but no customers accept them in exchange. Besides, on these hectic days, we hardly have any time to count the Rs 10 coins. We are temporarily refusing to accept the coins.”
He added that they may start accepting Rs 10 coins by the end of December, which coincides with the deadline for exchange of old notes. PNN
